1. Historical versus Current Distribution. Santa Lucia Mountains slender
salamanders (Batrachosepsluciae) were described in 2001 on the basis
of differences in allozymes and in DNA haplotypes in the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b
(Jockusch, 1996; Jockusch et al., 2001). Santa Lucia Mountains slender salamanders
are distributed throughout the northern Santa Lucia Mountains along the Pacific Coast in
Monterey County (Jockush et al., 2001). They currently are known from a number of
Monterey County locations in central coastal California. The northernmost known
location is on the Monterey Peninsula and the southernmost is near the Monterey/San Luis
Obispo County line. Inland, they are found along the Carmel Valley and the eastern
slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains from Arroyo Seco at least as far south as 36
˚N. Differences between historical and current distributions are not apparent.

2. Historical versus Current Abundance. Unknown. Santa Lucia slender
salamanders have been found abundantly at only a few sites, including the type locality,
a park in the city of Monterey (Jockusch et al., 2001).

3. Life History Features.

A. Breeding.
Reproduction is terrestrial.

i. Breeding migrations. Unknown.

ii. Breeding habitat. Unknown.

B. Eggs.

i. Egg deposition sites. A cluster of 19–20 eggs was found beneath a log in
Pacific Grove on 10 February, along with several adult Santa Lucia Mountains slender
salamanders, one of which was positioned ca. 5 cm from the cluster (D. Roberson;
http://montereybay.com/creagrus/CABatrachoseps.html). Almost certainly these eggs
were deposited by more than one female; this appears to be the first example of communal
nesting (Jockusch and Mahoney, 1997) for this species.

C. Direct
Development. Developmental times for eggs incubated in the lab at 13 ˚C
averaged 78 d (Jockusch 1997b). Dates of hatching in the wild are unknown.

D. Juvenile
Habitat. Unknown how this may differ from adult habitat.

E. Adult
Habitat. San Lucia Mountains slender salamanders are found predominantly in moist
redwood and mixed coniferous forests. Inland, they occur mainly on wooded (with
predominant vegetation being tan bark oaks and maples), north-facing slopes. During
favorable climatic conditions, San Lucia Mountains slender salamanders also can be found
under suitable cover in open, disturbed habitats, including the type locality, a park in
the city of Monterey (Jockusch et al., 2001). In the Big Sur area, they have been
found in wet, creekside situations.

F. Home Range
Size. Unknown.

G.
Territories. Unknown.

H.
Aestivation/Avoiding Dessication. Unknown, but likely in populations occurring on
the eastern flanks of the Santa Lucia Range. On the western flank of these
mountains, Santa Lucia Mountains slender salamanders have been found under surface cover
year-round. The presence of sharply rising mountain slopes adjacent to the Pacific
Ocean results in frequent summer fogs that in turn allow salamanders to remain surface
active outside the rainy season. We have recorded Santa Lucia Mountains slender
salamanders under surface cover at substrate temperatures of 7.4–8.4 ˚C (mean
7.9 ˚C; n = 14) in January, although we expect activity across a broader range of
temperatures.

I. Seasonal
Migrations. Unknown.

J. Torpor
(Hibernation). Unknown.

K. Interspecific
Associations/Exclusions. Santa Lucia Mountains slender salamanders and Gabilan
Mountains slender salamanders (B. gavilanensis) are parapatric, their
ranges largely interdigitating for ca. 80 km along a broad ecotone in Carmel
Valley. Populations of these species occur to within a few km of each other in
Carmel Valley, but sympatry has not been discovered (Yanev, 1978; Jockusch et al.,
2001). Similarly, their ranges converge in the Monterey Peninsula in an area with
continuous habitat; further collecting in this region seems likely to reveal
sympatry. They also occur within a few hundred meters of each other in the
Nacimiento River valley in extreme southern Monterey County.

N. Feeding
Behavior. Santa Lucia Mountains slender salamanders, similar to other species of
Batrachoseps, likely capture small insect prey using their projectile tongue.

O. Predators.
Unknown, although lizards and snakes are likely predators.

P. Anti-Predator
Mechanisms. Coiling and tail autotomy are common defensive responses in several
species of attenuate Batrachoseps

Q. Diseases.
Unknown.

R. Parasites.
Unknown.

S. Comments.
Although only recently described, specimens now referred to this species have been in
scientific collections for many years though assigned to other taxa (e.g., B.
attenuatus [Hendrickson, 1954]; and later, B. relictus [Brame
and Murray, 1968] and B. pacificus [Yanev, 1980]). Yanev (1978,
1980), on the basis of allozymes, first identified the major lineages within the central
coastal B. pacificus complex. Subsequently, these have been
recognized as distinct species (gavilanensis, incognitus,
luciae, and minor); Jockusch et al., 2001).

Based on studies of
mtDNA and allozymes, Santa Lucia Mountains slender salamanders are known to be close
relatives of B. incognitus, B. minor, and B.
gavilanensis (Jockusch et al., 2001; Jockusch and Wake, 2002). There is
some evidence that B. luciae and B. gavilanensis may
have been in genetic contact early in their history, although there is no indication of
present gene exchange despite sharing a long border through Carmel Valley (Jockusch et
al., 2001).

4. Conservation. Santa Lucia Mountains slender salamanders are moderately
widespread throughout the northern Santa Lucia Mountains and are abundant at a few
sites. Portions of the range occur on publicly owned lands or other large land
holdings that are likely to remain relatively undisturbed for the foreseeable
future. Aside from local extirpations associated with human development, there are
no known significant conservation concerns.

Acknowledgments. We thank Don Roberson for information concerning his
discovery of a communal nest.